Michelle Reckel, associate pastor of The People’s Church of Colorado Springs, recently spent several nights in the shoes of the city’s homeless, raising nearly $4,000 in the process.

Reckel slept outside in a tent without provisions from Dec. 20 to Christmas morning to bring awareness to the struggles faced by the homeless in the community. She was inspired to do so after she heard about a homeless person freezing to death in Colorado Springs.

Reckel’s passion for helping the homeless started nearly 30 years ago. However, in recent years, she felt the urge to get involved with The People’s Church of Colorado Springs specifically, which opened its doors on Dec. 24, 2022.

“I’m gonna tell the truth, I had a vision, and they said, ‘Hey, go check this church out,’ and I never knew about this church ever in my life,” Reckel said. “I called the pastor and said, ‘Hey, we have to check this church out.'”

Reckel said the church’s location on Conejos Street near downtown is “perfect” because it is in the heart of where the homeless are, with the building sitting between the local shelters and the walking trails.

According to previous Gazette reporting, a total of 1,302 homeless people in El Paso County were counted in the most recent data from January 2023.

“I think, unfortunately, a lot of people think it’s just people who are on drugs or trying to work the system, when that’s often not the case,” said Katherine Smutka, who has attended the church since its opening. “I was hoping that her doing this would bring some awareness to the reality of the situation.”

Over the years through donations and volunteer efforts, the church has been able to feed the homeless hot meals twice a week. Some from the homeless community pitch in to help with setup. In addition to the meal, volunteers provide essential items like menstrual products and pet food.

The church relies on donations and volunteers, with about 10-15 regular unpaid working volunteers. Smutka says she helps out when she can, prepping and packing up food and assisting with the worship team.

“They love (what) we’re doing,” Reckel said of the homeless. “They love that we’re actually utilizing the church for (what) it’s supposed to be, which is helping people.”

The associate pastor told The Gazette that this was her second year sleeping in a tent outside in the days leading up to Christmas. Reckel admitted it was hard both years, with temperatures dipping drastically as the sun sets over the front range.

“I was praying the whole time. I wanted to run back into the church,” Reckel said. “But I know why I’m doing this. I’m doing this because it is what Jesus would do.'”

Reckel livestreamed her experience on the church’s YouTube page, even having a temperature gauge to show what the conditions truly are for the homeless population each night in the winter.

“I was very encouraged that somebody in a position of leadership would be willing to go out for that long and really rough it,” Smutka said. “Just to be out there in the cold, that’s pretty powerful.”

Walking among the homeless population does not scare Reckel, or any of the other volunteers who frequent the camps and trails throughout the week.

Volunteers at the church have built a relationship with the homeless over the years through their efforts in memorizing names and stories.

“That’s the key,” Senior Pastor Mike Maldonado said. “We listen to them when we walk the trails. Now we know the names of 75% of them.”

Some have even protected the church after hours. One time, a group of regulars prevented someone from breaking into the building.

“I would trust them before someone who does live in a house,” Reckel said. “They would have my back in a heartbeat.”

Members of the homeless community attend services at the church every week — not for religious reasons, but for the sense of community. But they don’t have to attend services to receive help.

“We don’t force religion down,” Maldonado said. “If someone doesn’t want to come to church, that’s fine.”

While Reckel’s nights on the streets are over for now, the church is still raising money through a GoFundMe. Donations will go toward buying much-needed supplies including tents, tarps, sleeping bags, water, gloves and hand warmers. In-person donations are also encouraged.

“You’re never, ever going to get rid of homelessness ever,” Reckel said. “People think they want to be homeless but that’s not true. No one wants to be (homeless.)”